


I'm Here

by Highlander_II



Series: None Goes His Way Alone [45]
Category: House M.D.
Genre: Community: 100_situations, F/M, fall - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-05-12
Updated: 2009-05-12
Packaged: 2017-10-12 12:04:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/124638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Highlander_II/pseuds/Highlander_II
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stacy's had a fall and House gets to take care of her. <a href="http://dreamwidth.org/userinfo.bml?user=katernater"><img/></a><a href="http://dreamwidth.org/users/katernater/"><span>katernater</span></a> totally gets the <s>blame</s> credit for this one.  She helped develop the idea. Pre-S1, Pre-infarction</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm Here

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=100_situations)[100_situations](http://www.livejournal.com/users/100_situations/), based on the table in [this post](http://highlander-ii.dreamwidth.org/299704.html#cutid1).
> 
>  
> 
> I've maintained canon events through Season 5 with one exception – House never started seeing 'dead people' and did not end up in the asylum. That's where the divergence occurs and the 'AU timeline' begins.
> 
>  
> 
> All of these 100 ficlets were written starting in May of 2009 and finishing by June/July of that same year.

He knew she couldn't move without causing herself immense pain. Even breathing hurt. And she was thirsty. He knew from the calls of his name down the hallway. The few feet to her cup of water was possibly too far to reach, though that wasn't his fault. He hadn't put it there. She had.

"Greg," she called to him. His lack of response had her calling again. Then a third time.

Finally, he gave an annoyed grunt of 'What?' down the hallway.

"I can't reach my drink. Would you hand it to me, please?" She had tried, but muscle spasms in her back stopped all movement – his diagnostic guess from the pinched sound of her voice.

House wasn't particularly thrilled about doing it, but he handed her her drink. "Anything else?" he asked with a sigh of the greatly put-upon.

"I don't think so. Unless it's time for my pain meds again," she replied trying hard not to wince through a sharp pinch of pain.

He shook his head as he looked at his watch. "Not for another hour."

She nodded slowly, sipping from her cup of water. House could see the pain in her face. The squinched eyes, the tightness of her mouth, the furrow of her brow, all told him she was not comfortable at all. His hard exterior softened a little. Watching her in pain wasn't something he could easily do. Seeing her fall had been bad enough, but knowing she was in constant pain was too much.

The fall had been terrifying for him. She had been standing on a ladder, hanging lights around the window. She leaned too far one way, the ladder shifted and down she went. House was by her side in less than a minute, examining and checking to make sure nothing was broken or seriously damaged. Once he had determined she was okay to move to the car, he got her settled on the backseat and drove to the hospital for x-rays and tests. She'd left with a prescription and a diagnosis of muscle strain and bruised bones. There was the possibility of a cracked rib, but the x-ray was inconclusive.

It didn't matter, she was in pain and needed his help. He didn't want to spend a couple days tending to her, but he had little choice. He should have been hanging the lights like she'd asked him to.

'Then you'd be the one in pain on the couch,' she'd told him, insisting it was fine and he shouldn't feel guilty because she couldn't wait for him to get to it later in the day.

They argued back and forth like that for twenty minutes until Stacy's pain meds kicked in and she fell asleep. House had retired to the bedroom to read. Stacy was limited to the couch, saying the bed hurt her back. He wanted her in bed, even just to sleep. He hated sleeping alone since she'd moved in.

Right now, though, she was in pain. He gathered her gently into his arms, whispering to her. "Stacy," he said. "If it's too bad, let me know, I'll get you something."

She shook her head. "Just - just be here."

Her voice broke and he had to fight not to squeeze her tighter. "I'm here." He brushed his hand over her hair softly. "I'm here."


End file.
